Electric controlling-switch.



PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

W. GMINDER.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLING SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 26.1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

S n r0 ZHCl K g z 8:

No. 858,688. PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

W. GMINDER.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PATENT oF Io WILHELM GMINDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLING-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May'14, 1907.

Application filed August 26, 1905. Serial No. 275,860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM GMINDER,-a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing in New York, in the borough of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain to a device interposed between the motor or I other means to be operated, and the operating switch located at a distant point, said .device being adapted to be actuated on the closing of the operating switch, and adapted in turn to actuate the motor or other device. The underlying principle of the device is to transform electric-current at a point distant from an operating switch, into heat, and cause this heat to expand a given quantity of air, by which expansion a switch niechanism is actuated, whereby a motor, lamps, etc., are energized, or when connected with a lever mechanism, then said lever mechanism is caused to be actuated. Thus by the em ployment of three different kinds of energy viz., an eletric current, heat, and air pressure, a switch is operated at any suitable dis tance from the starting point so as to operate an electromotor, a lever mechanism for operating a railway gate, signal devices or other mechanism, so as to dispense with the expensive relays or motors, and furnish a reliable switch controller that can be supplied and operated at much lower price than those hitherto in use; and for this purpose the in vention consists of an electric switch controllcr, comprising a switch at the starting point; a lever mechanism, electromotor or lamps or other device, at a distant point, and a switch controller electrically connected with .the starting point switch and adapted to cause the actuation of the lever mechanism, for actuating the electro-motor, lamps or other device, said lever mechanism being operated by hot-air devices heated by suit-.

able resistance coils, which latter are called into action by the electric-current that is sent to the distantcontrolling mechanism by the starting switch.

The invention consistsfurther of certain details of construction and-combinations of parts which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing my improved electric switch controller and the electric connection of the same with the sending station, Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the electric switch controllers, and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 44, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, A represents the sending station and B a point at some distance from the sending station where the motor, lamps, railway gate or other mechanism to be operated is located. The point B can be at any suitable distance from the sending station.

(1 represents the controller by which the motor, lamps or other devices are switched into the electric circuit. The controller C in the form shown in Fig. 1 is operated by two air-tight boxes E, E which are heated up alternately by resistance coils R and R arranged below each of the same. The boxes E, E are covered by yielding metallic diaphragms e and c which when expanded al ternatel y operate plates F, F which are pivoted at the end of a curved lever F that is supported on a pivot arm F This curved lever F is provided with pins f projecting therefrom, which engage a fulcrumed and weighted lever-arm G so as to move the same in one or the opposite direction, according as one or the other diaphragm is expanded by the heating of the air in the boxes E, E Stop-pins g and g are arran ed to limit the movement of the lever-arm Referring more particularly to Fig. 3 the switches and weighted lever G is'fulcrumed to an upright slab M of marble, soapstone or other suitable insulating material on which an arc-shaped copper bar m, and circular cop per buttons m and shorter curved bars a, d, d are supported the curved bars 0, d, ci' concentric to each other are located below the pivot point G of the weighted lever-arm G. On the lever-arn1 G are mounted insulating plates m m To the upper insulating ICO block m is attached a contact-plate n which forms contact with and electrical connection between the copper bar we and buttons m,

'while a contact-plate d having three pro- IIO the starting switch to the signal lamp 7),,

to expand. and lift either of the plates F, F

pivoted to the ends of. the arc-shaped arm F The pinsfon the latter, will engage the leverarm G, which move it from one side to the other.

The improved. electric switch controller is operated as follows: The starting switch a is moved from the normalposition of rest to the starting position, that is to say, from stop a to start (L3, whereby the current passes from which is light-ed, to' the contact-strip c and over the same and the contact-blocks at the lower end of the weighted lever G, to the contact-strip d, which is connected with the resistance coil R, from the same to the other pole of the main circuit. The heating of the resistance coil R produces the heating of the air inclosed in the air-box E, thereby raising the diaphragm e and lifting the plate I. This produces the movement of the weighted lever G from the left-hand side toward the right to the intermediate position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the lever drops into the final position and thus is limited. by the stop-pin g, the upper contact-plate m passes in its movements from left to right over the contact-bar m, and separate contact buttonsm and throws in a plurality of resistance coils R of a starting box and of gradually diminishing size. Thereby the full current of the main circuit is gradually supplied to the'motor D. As soon as the lower end of the weighted lever leaves the shorter intermediate contact-strip (Z it only forms electric contact with the lower strip (1 so that the resistance coil R is switched out of circuit without switching in the resistance coil R as the latter is on the same pole as the start. The lamp 6 being on the same pole as the resistance coil R is extinguished and indicates thereby that the lever mechanism of the switch controller has been placed in the proper condition for switching in the device to be operated. The electro-motor D, lamp or other device is then operated for the required length of time by the current. When desired, its motion is interrupted by returning the starting switch a to its initial position, that is to say, from start a back to stop (L The current will then pass through the resistance coil R so as to produce the heating of the air in the air box E expand thediaphragm a lift the plate F and move thereby the weighted lever from its position at the right-hand side back to its initial position at the left-hand side and return the contact-plates m at the lower end A safety switch K is arranged in the main circuit near the switch controller, and is operated when a current of the allowed 1naximum passes through the switch controller. This state immediately becomes known as the. signal lamp 1) will not be extinguished.

111 place oi the air boxes E, E and heating chambers E E other devices may be used, such as,'for instance, a cylinder and piston, as shown in Fig. 2, the piston being connected with the weighted lever G. In such a case, the cylinder H is provided with an extension chamber N in which a resistance coil is arranged, which resistance coil heats up the air in the chamber and space below the piston ll. Thereby the piston is operated and the weighted lever G connected. thercwith also operated, and the switch or lever mechanism connectcd therewith also oper atcd. For returning the lever in its initial position an elcctro-magnet R may be used which arranged around the piston-rod II and which acts on the same in the nature oi a solenoid. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 2, the operation of which is substantially the same as the arrangement hercinabove de scribed. Instead of the motor D lamps L are operated.

My switch will be found especially valu able for use in connection with alternating current it obviating the necessity of electromagnetic relays, and even electric motors in cases where actual work is required only a short time, or in such cases where a small capital investment is more important than a high efiiciency. For signaling purposes, my switch is especially valuable, as it is less expensive to install and operate than the compressed air system hitherto in use, not requiring the installation and maintenance of pipes.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. An electric controlling switch, comprising air-boxes each having expansible diaphragms, thermo-electric means in proximity to said boxes, for expanding the air therein, a lever mechanism adapted to be actuated by the diaphragms, a switch-device actuated by said lever mechanism and adapted to actuate a motor or other device, a source of electricity, conductors connected therewith, with the th'crmo-electric means, a switch interposed in the conductors at a point distant from the aforenamed thermo-electric means for connecting the same with the source'of electricity and a signal lampin proximity to said switch.

2. An electric switch controller, consisting of a fulcrunied and weighted switch controlling lever, hermetically closed heating boxes provided with expansible diaphragms, resistance coils for heating air in said boxes, an oscillating lever-arm provided with pivotplates at each end and actuated by said diaphragins, means between the oscillating lever-ann and the weighted lever for moving the same from one side to the other, a source of clcctricitv, conductors connected therewith, contact-devices interposed, in said conductors for switching in one of the resistance coils, and contact-devices actuated bythe weighted lever for switching the main cur- 15 WILHELM GMINDER Witnesses PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUIIRBIER. 

